A supporter of U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton (D-NY) holds a sign during a campaign event at the University of Miami, Florida May 21, 2008. REUTERS/Carlos Barria (UNITED STATES) US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN 2008 (USA)

Editor - Regarding the uptick in California's teenage birthrate and the resulting costs to taxpayers and individual families, it'll be interesting to see the teen birthrate figures for 2008 and beyond, in the post-"Juno" era.

I'm a card-carrying Berkeley liberal, but I found the blase attitude toward teen pregnancy among the film's characters disturbing.

Not once is there any hint of lasting personal consequences for Juno, the teen mother depicted in the Academy Award-winning film. Rather, she gives up the baby for adoption and goes on with her life as if nothing had happened. It's a powerful anti-abortion, pro-teen pregnancy message.

With this movie seeping deeply into our teen culture, to the point of now being sold at Starbucks coffee counters across the land, we can only sit back and wait to see the consequences.

A shot of prevention

Editor - Teenagers who have kids usually short-circuit their own futures and have proven incapable of good parenting. We don't allow those too young to drive or drink. Why should we shoulder the burden of paying for their kids?

There is an antidote. The state makes mandatory immunizations for children to safeguard them from disease. A governmental mandate prescribing a monthly injection in school of Depo-Provera, a safe and effective contraceptive, would enhance the future of many young girls, keep teenagers incapable of effective parenting from having to do so, and relieve taxpayers from the expense of supporting their children.

DAN SPITZER

Berkeley

Just slow down

Editor - For the second time in less than two months, I was stopped from crossing the Golden Gate Bridge for almost two hours due to a traffic accident.

Why doesn't the California Highway Patrol lower the speed limit on the bridge to 35 miles per hour and strongly enforce it? It's time to stop this nonsense.

Property values at stake

Editor -Proposition 98 on the June ballot is disguised as protection for homeowner's property. Large, wealthy landlords are behind 98. It would eliminate rent control and important rental protections for all. It would drastically affect our ability to provide affordable housing in our communities.

This sweeping initiative would also severely restrict the ability of local and state government to regulate land use and protect our environment, with no exemption for health and safety regulations. Another of this deceptive measure's provisions could impair our ability to provide water supplies.

Fortunately Proposition 99, also on the June ballot, gives voters the opportunity to protect homeowners from eminent domain abuse. By outright prohibiting the taking of an owner-occupied home to transfer to a private party, this constitutional amendment responds to the Supreme Court's Kelo decision by protecting people's most valued possession.

Proposition 99 also rejects the elimination of rent control and renter protections that Proposition 98 would impose. It has none of Proposition 98's threats to land use regulation, environmental protection and other laws that make our communities safe, enjoyable places to live. The League of Women Voters recommends voting "no" on Prop. 98 and "yes" on Prop. 99.

Old baggage

Editor - In your endorsement editorial regarding the San Francisco Superior Court race, we feel you did the community a disservice by dredging up Supervisor Gerardo Sandoval's comments in 2001 about "bar mitzvahs" ("Politics and the judiciary," May 21).

You failed to mention the genuine outreach and bridge-building that Supervisor Sandoval has undertaken with the Jewish community over the intervening seven years.

We do not know of any Jewish leader in San Francisco who believes this is still an issue, including ourselves.

Bag the bags

Editor - Yeah! No more flimsy plastic bags! Now we get to deal with the environmental mess of thicker, "reusable" plastic that are also non- recyclable. Come on, people, wake up.

The problem is not the bag. Rather, it's the assumption that it's your right as a consumer to walk into a store and be given a new bag every time, for free. They charge for the bags in Europe. Just watch how many shoppers walk in with their own bags swinging happily from their forearms.

Hey, Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, I have a better idea. Get rid of the plastic bag altogether.

Let's take personal responsibility and demand that everyone bring their own bag to the store. Putting the plastic bag companies out of business couldn't happen too soon. Just ask anything that lives in the Texas- sized plastic mass that floats in the ocean. Oh yeah, that's right, there's probably nothing left living there ...

Editor - While the delegates should vote based on the outcome of their individual state primaries, the superdelegates should vote based on the best interests of the Democratic National Committee. In other words, the superdelegates should weigh two elements: who is most electable and what is the best possible ticket.

Regarding who's most electable, the superdelegates should only consider the winner of swing states, leaving out those states that traditionally vote Democrat or Republican.

Regarding the best possible ticket, it is clearly a combination of the two surviving Democratic candidates. Unfortunately, Sen. Hillary Clinton is not a viable vice presidential choice, due to her advanced years; she would be a weaker presidential candidate in eight years.

However, a Clinton/Obama ticket makes the most sense. Sen. Barack Obama will inevitably be a stronger candidate, with more national political experience. And based on her primary record, Clinton will guarantee more swing state victories, including Florida.

In this light, Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean has the opportunity to broker a historic deal. He can convince Clinton to serve for only one term with Obama as her VP, and then have Obama be the DNC nominee for 2012. This would unify the party, give Obama more experience in national politics and ensure a victory against Sen. John McCain in November.

An insult

Editor - During the black civil rights struggle, children were killed in bombings and activists were attacked by police dogs. During the fight for women's suffrage, hunger-striking suffragettes were forcibly fed in a brutal manner.

Sen. Hillary Clinton insults those struggles with her recent tying of her presidential ambitions to those venerated efforts. Putting one's body and life on the line counts for far more than an inflated sense of political entitlement.

PETER WONG

San Francisco

Alpha senator

Editor - Sen. Ted Kennedy's tragic illness opens an inviting opportunity for Sen. Hillary Clinton. If she were to cede the presidential nomination to Sen. Barack Obama and focus her energies on her career in the Senate, she would stand a good chance of succeeding Kennedy as the alpha senator.

Since her policy making interests appear to predominate over her executive skills, this would be a more productive outlet for her energies than the presidency.

JAMES R. MADISON

Menlo Park

Political football

Editor - I'm getting really tired of hearing Sen. Hillary Clinton and her supporters claim that if the completely illegitimate and hence irrelevant results of the Michigan and Florida primaries were counted, she might be winning the popular vote.

It is also true that if there were five quarters in a football game, the New England Patriots might be world champs.